Playing with Fire

Sello Mahapeletsa

Description

Koliwe’s life is turned upside down when her father dies and she is sent to Limpopo to live with the mother she thought was dead. She is determined to make her mother pay for abandoning her as a baby. Her new friend Siwela encourages her destructive plan, but will Koliwe get burnt when the fire she starts gets out of control?

Informations

• Publié par: Cover2Cover Books
• Date de parution: 07 mars 2018
• Nombre de lectures: 3
• EAN13: 9781928346586
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

Playing with Fire
Sello Mahapeletsa
Cover2Cover
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 1
There was a rumour flying all over Harmony High about Koliwe. She could tell it was about her by the way everyone stared and whispered every time they saw her. She knew it wasn’t about how she was being outplayed by Zinzi, who had taken her position in the soccer team. That had hurt but, despite what people had said, she bore no grudge against Zinzi, not after the abuse she had suffered at Mr Mase’s hands. No, this wasn’t about that. This rumour was something new, something bigger, something scandalous.
She didn’t know if she could handle this stress on top of the stress of her father’s illness. He was dying, she knew that, but she couldn’t think of life without him. It seemed that everything that she loved was taken from her. First her mother passed away when she was just five years old, and now her father was going to abandon her. What did she do to deserve all these misfortunes? Koliwe wondered as Mrs Nombembe approached her desk. The teacher leaned forward and whispered in her ear.
“I’m sorry about everything, sana. I can only imagine what you’re going through, all this gossiping surely doesn’t make things better, right?”
Koliwe nodded, thinking the teacher was talking about her losing her position on the soccer team to Zinzi. “Anyway, don’t mind them. Everything will be fine, OK?” the teacher continued before she went back to her desk. Koliwe scanned the class and realised everyone was dying to know what the teacher had said. She met her friend, Thobela’s gaze. Thobela gave her a sheepish grin and cast her eyes down at her book. Something was definitely going on here, even Thobela knew. Koliwe was determined to find out what it was before the end of the day.
Finally, the bell rang for school out. Koliwe rushed outside, looking for Thobela and Cebi. She knew Cebi had a long tongue. That girl could not keep a secret, no matter what she swore on.
Instead, she bumped into Zinzi, Babalwa and Danisile. From the way they went mute when they saw her approaching, she knew they were also talking about her.
“Koliwe, unjani?” Babalwa said.
Koliwe ignored her. Babalwa always made trouble. She didn’t say a word to Babalwa – she just clicked her tongue and passed them.
“Yho, chomza. I think everyone was talking about it today at school. Such a scandal. Who would have thought? I wonder if she knew,” Koliwe heard Thobela talking to Cebi, unaware that she was following them. She could not believe her own friends were also gossiping about her. She had no problem with Zinzi and her friends gossiping about her. They were not that close to her and not even in the same class, but Thobela and Cebi, they were her friends and were supposed to protect her, not keep secrets from her. Anger bubbled inside her as the two girls continued talking about her.
“She knew … I’m telling you. I think that’s why she played so horribly at soccer practice. I wonder when she’s going to tell us herself?”
Koliwe couldn’t believe it – surely Thobela knew how stressed she was because her father was so sick. How could they gossip about her at a time like this? But she would have to keep her cool and follow them if she wanted to hear more.
“Such a big secret. I can’t believe she hasn’t told us, her friends.”
“Do you blame her, though? Phela, that’s huge. Just imagine. Who wants to have a mother like that? Argh! Some people are cruel you know.” Thobela shook her head.
It was definitely not about the soccer game. It was about her mother. But what could a dead woman do that would make the whole community roar like that? Her mother died a long time ago. Koliwe could hardly remember her; and had only ever seen one photo that her father kept in his old photo album.
“But chomza … do you think it’s true? I mean it was on that TV show, Khumbul’ekhaya, the one about finding missing family members. Her father must have wanted to find her mother before he died. I can’t believe Koliwe doesn’t know, she watches that show. It’s not a secret anymore,” Cebi told her.
“Well, if she does, she hasn’t told us.”
Cebi caught sight of Koliwe behind them and nudged Thobela with an elbow. “Ssh! She is right behind us,” she muttered.
Thobela turned and looked at Koliwe, embarrassed.
“Don’t stop on my account. Continue but first tell me what it is that my mother did. You say it’s scandalous, right? Tell it to my face now.” Koliwe’s voice was full of rage.
She hadn’t watched Khumbul’ekhaya this week because the noise of the TV disturbed her father. He wanted to rest, he had told her. Was that true, or did he know what the show would be about? Was he trying to hide something from her? Was the only person she trusted in this world keeping a secret from her? Koliwe couldn’t wait to arrive home and ask him to his face.
“Koliwe, are you fine?” Cebi asked, looking at Koliwe. Koliwe was lost in her own thoughts and didn’t hear a word she was saying. “Koliwe!”
“What!” Koliwe snapped.
Everyone stopped and stared at Koliwe.
“Ao! Koliwe. Are you fine, chomza?” Thobela was concerned.
Koliwe could not believe her ears. Thobela was asking if she was fine when she, Thobela, was the one who was busy gossiping about her. All she wanted was to get home and demand the truth from her father, however sick he was.